An Aboriginal Presence

An Aboriginal Presence

Pauline Johnson (1861-1913)

Pauline Johnson was born to a
Mohawk father and English mother on the Six Nations Reserve near
Brantford, Ontario. She adopted the Mohawk name Tekahionwake
(Double Wampum) and became a well-known poet and entertainer.

Pauline Johnson wrote popular poems with Aboriginal themes, and
performed in both evening gowns and a fringed buckskin dress.
Although she wrote in many genres, she was best known for her
poetry, particularly "The Song My Paddle Sings."